1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of reporting systems and methods, and more particularly to systems and methods for capturing identification data of consumers, obtaining additional data from remote databases, and processing the identification data and the additional data to create reports.
2. Background Art
Many types of businesses use the internet to expedite business transactions. For example, retail businesses typically employ data capture devices, for example magnetic stripe readers, to facilitate product purchases in the retail environment. Typically, a consumer presents a cashier with a credit card that includes a magnetic strip. The magnetic strip contains information about the consumer who is making the purchase, for example, the consumers name, the consumer's credit card number and the expiration date of the credit card.
Typically, the magnetic strip reader employed by the cashier interfaces with a system that retrieves and formats the data. The data is then transmitted to a remote device that receives and processes the data transmitted by the cashier's system. The remote device transmits to the cashier's system an indication of whether the credit card used by the consumer is approved.
Moreover, in many retail businesses, for example auto dealerships or large appliance retailers, there exists a need to capture identification data of a consumer for other purposes. For example, in order for an automobile dealer to allow a consumer to test drive a vehicle, the dealer preferably ensures that the consumer has a valid driver's license. This is typically achieved by simply retrieving the license from the consumer and recording a copy of the license for insurance purposes. In addition, an automobile dealership may desire to capture identification data and obtain credit approval from loan agencies or banks.